Levi's 501 an open book

Jennie Nunn

August 16, 2013Updated: August 17, 2013 10:04pm

Photo: Francesco Carrozzini, Levis 501 Interpretations

Unionmade pair Todd Barket and Carl Chiara are among the self-portraits from Levi's aficionados from around the globe in "Levi's 501 Interpretations," a new book that celebrates the jeans' 140-year history.

Unionmade pair Todd Barket and Carl Chiara are among the...

For more than a century, San Francisco's Levi Strauss & Co. has designed and manufactured blue jeans, synonymous with casual California style and, for many, a wardrobe staple.

Now the brand is paying homage to the first 501 button-fly style, created in 1873, with "Levi's 501 Interpretations." The 501-page gallery-like book (each individually numbered with a different cover image) comprises self-portraits from Levi's aficionados from around the globe, as well as photographs by New York camera man Francesco Carrozzini of actors, musicians, fashion icons and tastemakers, including Kate Bosworth, Anna Kendrick, Alan Cumming and Andy Spade. Notable San Franciscans include Unionmade pair Todd Barket and Carl Chiara (pictured).

"We created this book to not only honor the 140 years of the 501's rich history, but to celebrate all of the unique style interpretations of the 501 seen around the world, and we set out to showcase the diverse range of people and places where the 501 is part of the everyday uniform," said VP Global Creative Director Len Peltier. "We like to call it the uniform of progress, worn by the pioneers who shape our world, generation after generation. We love that our fans range from presidents and movie stars to farmers, entrepreneurs and the everyman.

"We love to see how people today are remixing a modern classic," Peltier said.

$55; available at select Levi's stores and online at www.levi.com. Proceeds go to students at California College of the Arts, San Francisco, who demonstrate leadership in craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability.